Entering God’s Rest (7)

So, now let’s assume that you have received the gift of faith by God’s grace and you have believed in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and for your spiritual salvation.  Legally, that is, in God’s court room, you have now been justified by faith.  What now? Is that it? No, now you begin your walk with God. Now you can start down the “narrow path.” Now you need to begin to “labor” to enter God’s rest.

For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:10-13 KJ2000)

Now we come to the crux of the matter. So far we have learned that to even have a chance of entering into God’s rest we must have true faith in God.  Faith is God’s gift to us who believe. This faith marks the beginning point for anyone who would follow after God and who would walk in Jesus’ ways. Yet, as soon as we come to faith, which is not of works, God says, “WORK to enter my rest!” And this is the command that has befuddled Christians since the dawn of time because most then proceed to think that they must perform certain spiritual duties or perfectly obey certain Biblical laws before they can really be accepted by God. In theological terms they link this command to work in Hebrews 4:11 to their “justification.”

Justification, though, is a legal term which states that “based upon Christ’s work and his gift to you of faith in that work, you have been declared “righteous” before God.” It is this legal transaction, one that I can’t even begin to understand, that reconciles us to God. Justification establishes our relationship with God and thus allows us to communicate with him and get to know him. Justification, however, does not literally make anyone righteous. It is the laboring to enter God’s rest which actually transforms us. One term the Bible uses for this labor is “practicing righteousness.”

When we first believe in Jesus we usually remain as bound to certain sins as before. Yes, I know that sometimes Jesus casts out demons and delivers people from addictive bondages when they come into “saving” faith, but this is not the norm. It’s usually not that easy. Justification by faith deals with our spirit and its eternal abode. It does not deal with our soul, the place “where we live,” so to speak. Our soul is our mind, our will, and our emotions. Our soul is what we think of as “you” or “me.” I can’t really know your spirit, but I can know your soul.

The problem of understanding justification versus laboring to enter God’s rest (or, practicing righteousness) has been compounded through the centuries because translators have used various words to translate the Greek word psuche, which means “soul.” On the other hand the Greek word pneuma is usually translated “spirit.” In Hebrews 4:12, quoted above, the Greek word translated “soul” is psuche and the word translated “spirit” is pneuma, which is correct.

Sometimes the word psuche is translated as “life.”  For example, when Jesus says, ”whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it,”  (Matthew 16:25) it is the Greek word psuche which is translated “life” here. Jesus is talking about the salvation of the soul, not the spirit in this passage. He is dealing with the spiritual aspect of laboring to enter God’s rest, not justification by initial faith in him.

Because of the various contradictory translations many commentators speak of “saving one’s soul” when they really mean “saving one’s spirit.” Hebrews 4:12 attempts to draw the distinction between soul and spirit as the discussion now moves from mere faith in God to “working out our salvation in fear and trembling.”  (Philippians 2:12) The reason for this is because the salvation of our spirits has been accomplished by the one-time work of Christ by shedding his blood on the cross for our sins. It is a done deal. The salvation of our souls, however, has not yet been accomplished, but is an on-going work which is typified by the exodus wilderness journey.

It is precisely because of this confusion, of not distinguishing between the soul and the spirit, that most people utterly miss the meaning of the book of Hebrews. This book contains at least five stern warnings against losing our salvation. One group of Bible scholars, the Calvinists, say that all of these warnings deal with people who were never really saved (spiritually saved, that is). Another group, the Arminians, believe that these warnings indeed do speak to Christians and that all Christians bear the risk of losing their eternal salvation. Calvinists believe in the doctrine “once saved always saved.” Arminians believe that you can lose your spiritual salvation. Both are right to some extent, and both are wrong to a very great extent.

Men can never lose the salvation of their spirits because Christ’s work has accomplished this for us. They can only lose their souls which means that they will miss out on the first resurrection, even if they actually believe in Jesus. This explains the reason for the many warnings in the Bible which apply to Christians. Christians who fail to save their souls will have their part in the Lake of Fire, along with total unbelievers. The Lake of Fire is that place, thing, or process which many mistakenly call “hell.” The Lake of Fire brings about the destruction of carnal, unbelieving souls so that these ones may ultimately enter into the Kingdom of God. For remember, outside the Kingdom “are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.” (Revelation 22:15)

As we continue in the book of Hebrews we find that only the mature, only those who ultimately learn to discern between good and evil and then actually will (choose) to do the good make up this company of believers who enter into God’s rest. See Hebrews 5:14. This company goes by many names in Scripture, for example, the Bride of Christ, the manchild, the two witnesses, the order of Melchizedek, the remnant, Gideon’s 300, and the overcomers.

Part 8: The Two Witnesses

Part 1: Entering God’s Rest

Revelation 16:1

And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels,

Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.

16:1

And I heard a great voice out of the temple, (We are the Temple, I Corinthians 3:16.) saying to the seven angels, (Ministering Spirits) Go and pour out

Joel 2:23,28;

So rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the LORD your God; for He has given you the early rain for your vindication. and He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as before.:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; (Matthew 5:45; That you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven: for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain [Latter Day Rain of the Holy Spirit] on the just and the unjust.) and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

In Scripture, when a month (Literally, new moon) is given, the first day of that month is understood unless another day is given. Therefore this passage in Joel means the first day, of the first month. If you look up a Jewish calendar that lists the feasts and times of harvest, you will find that the Lord is keeping his promise concerning the former and latter rain in Israel. Those are such definite times that they are listed on their calendar. The former rain begins Tishri 1, and Jesus was born on Tishri 1. The latter rain begins on Nisan 1.

Ezekiel 29:17,21 cinches the date of Nisan 1. Verse 17 sets the date, “in the first month, in the first day of the month.” Then verse 21 says,

In that day (Nisan 1) will I cause the horn (king) of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

the seven (Perfect) bowls (Temple vessels, A Shallow cup,) the perfect vessels are ones who practice righteousness.

Exodus 37:16;

And he made the vessels which were on the table, (Table of Showbread) the dishes thereof, and the spoons thereof, and the bowls (A Vessel; Receptacle: which is also described as a utensil, a tool, particularly used in the kitchen or farming. Pertaining to food) thereof, and the flagons thereof, which to pour out, (As Latter Day Rain) of pure  (Unadulterated) gold. (Godly Thinking)

Matthew 23:26

You blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside may become clean also.

II Timothy 2:21;

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself (By Practicing Righteousness, I John 1:5-9.) from these things, he will be a vessel of Honor, sanctified, useful to the Master,prepared for every good (Righteous) work.

of the wrath of God (God’s Consuming FIRE) on the earth.

The Wrath of God is a very good work, for it is the consuming fire that burns away all that is NOT OF GOD. (NOTE: Revelation16:19)

Remember, FIRE comes out of the mouths (Words of righteousness) of the Two Witnesses and destroys the enemies of God.

Revelation 11:4-5;

These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks (Whose light is shining because of the anointing oil of God’s Grace) standing before the Lord of the, earth.(Zechariah 4:2,-3 And he said unto me, What do you see? And I said, I have seen, and, behold, a candlestick all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are upon the top thereof;:3 and two olive-trees [The Two Witnesses] by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side thereof. (NOTE: Revelation 6:1 @ Zechariah 6:5 ) :5And if any man desires to hurt them,(The Two Witnesses)

fire proceeds out of their mouth

and devours their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed.

Zechariah 4:1

And the angel that talked with me came again, and awoke me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. (NOTE: Revelation 3:2,3)

:2 And he said to me, What do you see? And I said, I have seen, and, behold, a candlestick (Light) all of gold, (Pure, Godly thinking) with its bowl (Vessel, receptacles for Godly thoughts) on the top of it, (Where we think)  and its seven (Perfect) lamps (Light) thereon;  there are seven (Perfect)  pipes (In which, the GRACE of God flows, the oil of the Holy Spirit, that flows) to each of the lamps, (Those who practice righteousness) which are on the top (Where we think) thereof.

Matthew 5:14,15;

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.

:15 Neither do [men] light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it gives light to all that are in (Abiding in the Vine, Jesus; not just being forgiven, but through Love being obedient to Practice Righteousness) the house. (God’s House, Temple, II Timothy 2:20-26;)

Matthew 25:1,2-4;

Then shall the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps, (As the Saved) and went forth to meet the bridegroom. (Jesus) :2 And five (The number [#5] is number of Grace) of them were foolish, (Had the power of Grace available to them, but did not go after it. Grace is the blessing but, the foolish do not seek it) and five were wise. (Grace is the blessing and the wise do seek it)

Matthew 25:3;

For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: (They were not practicing righteousness by repenting and confessing their sins, as well as their neighbors, and asking for God’s Grace [Oil] to change them, because they are too weak [no power] to change themselves.) God’s Oil can only go into a pure, (Unadulterated) clean vessel.

The oil was available to them, but they had not

Prepared Themselves (Note: Revelation 8:6)

Matthew 25:4;

but, the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Zechariah 4:3;

and two olive-trees (The Two Witnesses, of God’s Word and Works, men who have the oil of the Holy Spirit, God’s Grace, His Blessing, flowing through them) by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, (Those who practice righteousness, a receptacle of Godly thoughts. The receptacle of our mind, as a vessel for the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. A Clean Vessel of which, Godly thinking is to be poured into.) and the other upon the left side thereof. (Note: Revelation 9:5 @ Zechariah 14:20)

Zechariah 4:12,14;

And I answered the second time, and said to him, What are these two olive-branches, (The Word and Works, His Two Witnesses) which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty the golden (Godly thinking) oil (The anointing of God’s Grace, [Like electricity] which empowers as Godly fuel, Godly, thinking and actions; His Grace empowers us to speak and do His Words and Works as we Practice Righteousness) out of themselves? (Into the Bowls, as we are Vessels of God) Those who practice righteousness are useful to the Master and ready for His good  [Righteous] works. :14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, (The Two witnesses) (NOTE: Revelation 11:4,5) that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. (NOTE: Revelation 6:1 @ Zechariah 6:5)

Before we begin to study the purpose of the Order of Melchizedek let us be perfectly clear.  We can no more assume or attain a place in this order by our own strength than we can leap to the moon in a single bound.  This is entirely a work of the Holy Spirit in each of us individually.  As Hebrews says,

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.  [2] He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.  [3] Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.  [4] And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
    [5] So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
    “You are my Son,
        today I have begotten you“… Hebrews 5:1-5 (ESV) 

Yes, the one who becomes part of the Order of Melchizedek can only be one of the “manifested sons,” one of the remnant overcomers who is glorified and given a new body at what we commonly call the rapture.  Men err greatly when they teach that all Christians partake of the parousia.  Many will be disappointed that day for only the elect (those people now called the saved) will participate.  Let us hope and pray that we will be chosen.  Remember, in our flesh dwells no good thing.  We grump and we sin daily.  But, let us repent continually; let us practice righteousness so that when He comes we may be accounted righteous and holy before Him and may see His face. 

Peter explains the purpose of God’s holy priesthood:

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,  [5] you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  [6] For it stands in Scripture:
    “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
        a cornerstone chosen and precious,
    and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
 [7] So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
    “The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone,”
     [8] and  “A stone of stumbling,
        and a rock of offense.”  They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. [9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
    [11] Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.  [12] Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evil doers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.  1 Peter 2:4-12 (ESV)

Priests in the Order of Melchizedek  proclaim the excellencies of him who called them out of darkness into his marvelous light.  These priests are ambassadors of Christ who will rule the world with Christ’s rod of iron in the age to come, the great millennial reign of Christ.  Then will be fulfilled that word of Paul’s, 

“the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.  [27] To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  [28] Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.  [29] For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.  Col. 1:26-29 (ESV) 

At this time, and not until then, 

The earth will be filled
        with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
        as the waters cover the sea.  Habakkuk 2:14 (ESV) 

And it will be those priests in the Order of Melchizedek who bring this knowledge to the whole world, yes, to every man.

The Order of Melchizedek remains one of the most unknown teachings in Scripture.  What is it?  Who makes up the group?  Can anyone besides Jesus the Messiah actually belong to this priestly order?  We first learn about “the order” of Melchizedek in the following passage:

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.  [8] Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.  [9] And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,  [10] being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
    [11] About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  [12] For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,  [13] for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.  [14] But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.  Hebrews 5:7-14 (ESV) 

Please take a few moments to re-read the above passage and take special note of the highlighted words and phrases.  These words are the keys for understanding this teaching.  I will not review the foundational teachings the writer refers to right after this in Hebrews 6 because I have done that in previous posts.  Please see chapters 19 to 25 of the Image of God series as well as my books When We Awake and Food Sacrificed to Idols.

Let’s begin this series with the little understood idea of food in Scripture.  Throughout the Bible food represents doctrine, teaching, or ideas relating to the knowledge of God and walking in his ways.  Notice in Hebrews 5:14 that only mature believers who partake of  solid food will be able to understand the Order of Melchizedek which Hebrews also calls the teaching about righteousness. 

We can see how dominant this theme of spiritual food is by reviewing the first appearance of Melchizedek.  Genesis 14 describes how four kings from the East defeat the five kings of the area of Sodom.  The four kings then take as booty all the provisions of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as certain prisoners, including Abram’s nephew Lot, which brings us to the following passage that introduces Melchizedek:

When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. [15] And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. [16] Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.
    [17] After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). [18] And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) [19] And he blessed him and said,
     “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
         Possessor of heaven and earth;
    [20]  and blessed be God Most High,
        who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

    And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.  Genesis 14:14-20 (ESV)

Melchizedek appears for the first time known in history with “bread and wine.”  This bread represents the body and this wine the blood of Jesus himself.  Jesus told us that we must eat his flesh and blood, which is represented by the bread and the wine, in order to live.  He told us his words were spiritual.   (This means that we are not to take them literally!  We do not actually eat flesh and blood.)  “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God,” he said.  Thus Jesus teaches us to eat the spiritual truth that comes directly from him and his Father.

Good bread is God’s Word.  Good wine is God’s Spirit.  And there is also bad bread and bad wine.  Bad bread is false doctrine which always contains a mixture of God’s truth with man’s defiled flesh added to it; bad wine speaks of demonic, satanic, carnal spirituality.  The bread and wine of Melchizedek speaks of the good food of God.  Further, the relationship of Melchizedek and Abram deals with the idea that a man of faith can eat and digest the food of God.  This relates to the idea of Christians being able to assimilate the deeper truths of Christianity, doctrines that go beyond the “milk” of the Word.  The “teaching about righteousness” is one of these doctrines, one of the deep spiritual truths of God.  Anyone who becomes part of the Order of Melchizedek must understand and walk in the truth of this profound teaching.  Otherwise, he remains a child, and as we learn in the New Testament, a child does not yet possess his inheritance.

The following passage succinctly states the mystery of walking in the truth:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  [2] For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  [3] For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  [4] in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  Romans 8:1-4 (ESV) 

Paul spent the first seven chapters of Romans teaching us about God’s Law.  This teaching is summarized in the last four posts of this series.  The basic points he makes are these: 1) God’s Law is spiritual, holy, and good; 2) the purpose of God’s Law is to define sin and to show all men God’s standards of right and wrong; 3) to convict men of sin because they fail to meet God’s requirements; and 4) to prove that no man can perfectly obey God’s Law even when they try to, not even Paul.  Once we realize these profound facts, what are we to do, he asks.

The solution is, Paul says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ”  Romans 8:1.  But now the question becomes, what does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus?”  Are all people who name the name of Jesus as their Savior “in him?”  The following verses show that the answer is clearly “No.”  The question for us who believe then becomes, “After believing in Jesus, do we then proceed on with Jesus to walk according to the Spirit, or do we merely continue to walk according to the flesh?”  This is a critical question and all too few Christians have even asked it of themselves, much less answered it!  Paul continues,

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  [6] To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  [7] For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.  [8] Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.   Romans 8:5-8 (ESV) 

What do you set your mind on?  What do you wake up thinking about?  What do you go to sleep thinking about?  What have you considered and focused on all day?  Were they things of the flesh, the things of this world, or did you set your mind on (think about) the things of the Spirit, the things of God?  Did you take your mind to heavenly places, or did you find yourself stuck all day in the lusts and mires of this world?

If you find that your thoughts are consumed with your job, how to get rich, how to fulfill your sexual lusts, revenge, lies, and so on, then you have “set your mind on the flesh.”  In that case you are living “according to the flesh” and Paul says that your end is “death,” i.e., the “second death” described in the Book of Revelation.  If, on the other hand, you find that you set your mind on the things of the Spirit, then you have entered into “life and peace.”

Further, Paul tells us that the mind that is set on the flesh is actually “hostile to God.”  How does this hostility show itself?  By rebellion to his Law, for the mind set on the flesh does not and cannot “submit to God’s Law.”  Nor can such a man with such a mind ever please God, regardless of the many “good works” he thinks he does for Him.  Contrarily, however, the mind set on the Spirit does and can submit to God’s Law.  Does such a one with his mind set on the Spirit perfectly obey God’s Law?  No, Paul says even he can’t do that, although he sincerely wants to.  What does he do then?  He “practices righteousness.”  He learns God’s ways and requirements by washing himself with the Word, thus cleansing himself.  When he fails to obey God and sins, he repents, gets back up and sets his mind on the Spirit again.  Thus he remains “perfect” before God always.  This is the overcomer of Revelation.  This is the remnant of Isaiah.  This one, says Paul, is the true “son of God.”  This is the one who will see God as He Is when He reveals Himself.  This is elohim, the one made into God’s image.

Before continuing with my essays on the truth it seemed good to me and the Holy Spirit that I tell you my own personal testimony concerning it.  Over thirty years ago, when I was a youth of but 20 years of age, I dropped out of my fourth year of college.  I had been a straight “A” student in high school, graduated 10th in a class of 300, and was president of National Honor Society.  I began college in the “Pre-med” program, changed majors during my first year to chemistry, and then at the end of my second year I changed majors again, this time to math.  I made good grades in college, making mainly A’s and B’s in math and science.  Then, I decided that partying was more important, so I dropped out of school so that studying would not interfere with that!

I turned 21 soon after this and worked part time at a music store.  You can imagine what I did with my time off.  But, one day during lunch break I walked across the street to the book store.  I  had been reading Krishnamurti and, as a math major, was naturally interested in philosophy.  I browsed the philosophy section and noticed a book called The New English Bible.  I said to myself, “I’ve always heard that the truth is in this book.  Why don’t I just buy this book and read it and see if it is?”  So, I bought it and began to read it.

I began reading the New Testament right away.  Then at night I would read the Old Testament.  Finally, after about three months, I had read the whole New Testament twice and was reading it for a third time.  At the same time I was up to Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.  One night I was reading Deuteronomy and suddenly I noticed that the “voice” of the person who wrote Deuteronomy was the same as the “voice” of the person who wrote what I had been reading in the New Testament earlier that day.   If you have read many books by, say, C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien you will know what I mean.  You begin to know their style and you can’t miss it.  So it was with me this night while reading the Bible.  I suddenly knew that the same “person” had written both the Old and the New Testaments. 

But, I also knew the the two testaments were written hundreds of years apart.  So, as I considered that the same person wrote both testaments, I said to myself, “This is impossible, unless God wrote the Bible.”

Then the voice of God literally spoke to me and said, “That’s right, …, and I want you to teach my Word.”  And I responded, “If this is God’s Word, then I had better do what it says.”  I knew that I had found THE TRUTH!   My life was forever changed….